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| Me at 4 years old |
This is me when I was 4 years old. I was Daddy's little girl. Sweet and still innocent.
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| Katie and Dad 1987 (I was 21) |
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| April 12, 2000 (I was 34) |
It was a Tuesday night at 8:32 p.m when he died. April 12th, 1999. He was scheduled for bypass surgery and died the night before! He was an otherwise healthy man. He did not smoke, drink alcohol or even drink coffee. He ate healthy and was not overweight. However, there was heart disease in his family.
My father, Edward, aka "Eagle" was born in 1930 in Chicago, IL. He met my mom in high school but they actually dated other people at that time. He was a jock and she was a cheerleader. He played minor league baseball after high school but he got drafted to Korea at 19. He was shot in the war and became a paraplegic due to a spinal cord injury. After he came home from the war he and my mom got close and they fell in love and married. They were not able to have children so they adopted my brother and I. My brother is from Chicago and then they moved to California and adopted me. He became involved in a National organization called P.V.A. and he was also on committees for the V.A. which helped with accessibility and funding for spinal cord injury research. He even attended a number of Presidential Inauguration's. He had a wonderful life despite his disability. He was a proud man and always had a smile on his face. He and my mom traveled all over the U.S. He took my mom to Maui every summer and they were married 43 years when he died in '99. He made his mark on this world and it was his time to go. He loved me like no one else and I miss him dearly. I love you Pops!
I love the pictures!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like your father was a wonderful man, Katie. It takes special people to take in, and love unconditionally, children who are not biologically their own.
Thank you for sharing.
Aww, what a beautiful post, Katie.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely tribute to your dad!
ReplyDeleteAwwwwww!
ReplyDelete*HUG*
And I can relate re: being adopted but being told you look alike... At my Dad's funeral a stranger came up to me and said he could tell I was one of my Dad's girls because I had "his look in my eye."
Your Dad was the born the same year as my Mom.
I posted on the 18th anniversary of my Dad's death here (if you are curious): http://fat-angry-blog.blogspot.com/2011/03/today-was-oddly-good-day.html
My mom's youngest brother was adopted and no one would ever guess it because he looks SO much like the men on that side of the family & absolutely NOTHING like his birth family. I totally see the resemblance between you & your dad, too.
ReplyDeleteIf they can bake in heaven (and I have to believe that they can) I bet my mom will whip your dad up something wonderful for a birthday treat!
*hugs*
What a beautiful memorial to your dad. I am sure he would be so proud of you and your successes. Having a wonderful father is a true blessing for a little girl.
ReplyDeleteThis post brings back memories for me. My Dad died in 2007 and I miss him still every day. He was also my stepfather, but the only dad I ever knew. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post. I too ,miss my dad. I loved him dearly. I wish I had married someone like him. But, no one could ever compare to him. Thank you for sharing. God Bless
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely tribute to your dad - so sad about the circumstances of his passing right before the surgery! It sounds like he really enjoyed life and how cool that he got to do so much in his short time here. I know you miss him very much - it's always in your tone when you write about him. Hugs to you, my friend.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely, lovely post.
ReplyDelete